AGO Massive Party 2012 Explores the Future of Art

UPDATED with entertainment, food and décor details for this year’s event

(TORONTO – April 10, 2012) Mark your calendar, dust off your crystal ball and prepare to party in style, because the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is calling on art lovers and culture hounds to share their visions of the future of art for its eighth annual Massive Party. The can't-miss event is taking place at the Gallery on April 19, 2012.

With just over a week to go, tickets to the wildly popular fundraiser are poised to sell out, and co-chairs Hughene Acheson and Laura Adams are ready to welcome close to 1,800 guests to the hottest bash in town.

The boundary-pushing event looks ahead to the future of art and asks party-goers to fill in the blanks when they complete the hashtag #thefutureofartis. Join the conversation here. Guests can expect entertainment, food and décor that are as inspired as the art. Confirmed details include:

DecorDrawing inspiration from the elements central to Massive Party’s theme — LIGHT SOUND OBJECT PAST PRESENT FUTURE — the party’s décor will make extensive use of coloured light and projections, and spaces will be punctuated with larger-than-life textual elements. Envisioning guests it their brightest and shiniest attire, Billio will amp up the party with equally colourful and inspiring design elements that will transform familiar AGO spaces.

Known for his installation, sculpture and design works, Billio has exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. He is currently the resident artist at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel.

"The elements LIGHT SOUND OBJECT PAST PRESENT FUTURE and the question 'What is the future of art?' come together this year through artistic expression, public excitement, curiosity, food, drink and dancing," says Billio, who served as Massive Party's artistic director in 2010 and 2011. "Using technology as the unifying element and facilitating instant public discussion and sharing of ideas, it reveals what we all feel the future of art was, is and will be."

Tickets to Massive Party are $150 for the public and $125 for AGO members; groups are invited to purchase 12 tickets for the price of 10 at $1,500. AGO Next members are invited to join the artists of Massive Party for the AGO Next Pre-Party beginning at 8:00 p.m. in Walker Court. Admission to Massive Party includes an open bar, hors d'oeuvres, music, performances, entertainment and one-of-a-kind art experiences. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ago.net/massive or by calling 416-979-6628. Guests must be 19 or older (ID required).

Proceeds from Massive Party support the AGO's exhibitions and education programs.

The Art Gallery of Ontario is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts and generous contributions from AGO members, donors and private-sector partners.

ABOUT THE AGOWith a collection of more than 80,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario is among the most distinguished art museums in North America. From the vast body of Group of Seven and signature Canadian works to the African art gallery, from the cutting-edge contemporary art to Peter Paul Rubens' masterpiece The Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an incredible art experience with each visit. In 2002 Kenneth Thomson's generous gift of 2,000 remarkable works of Canadian and European art inspired Transformation AGO, an innovative architectural expansion by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that in 2008 resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed architectural achievements in North America. Highlights include Galleria Italia, a gleaming showcase of wood and glass running the length of an entire city block, and the often-photographed spiral staircase, beckoning visitors to explore. The AGO has an active membership program offering great value, and the AGO's Weston Family Learning Centre offers engaging art and creative programs for children, families, youth and adults. Visit ago.net to find out more about upcoming special exhibitions, to learn about eating and shopping at the AGO, to register for programs and to buy tickets or memberships.

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